Treatment unit and system

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a treatment unit comprising a housing and a mesh container. The housing has one or more than one inlet and one or more than one outlet. The mesh container is received in the housing and comprises a mesh surface with a plurality of holes therethrough. The mesh container is configured to receive a solid material and solution flowing into the housing through the inlet passes through the plurality of holes and contacts the solid material before flowing out of the housing through the outlet. The treatment unit may be used to produce treated biochar.

1 . A treatment unit comprising:
 a housing with one or more than one inlet and one or more than one outlet; and   a mesh container received in the housing, the mesh container comprising a mesh surface with a plurality of holes therethrough,   
       wherein the mesh container is configured to receive a solid material and solution flowing into the housing through the inlet passes through the plurality of holes and contacts the solid material before flowing out of the housing through the outlet. 
     
     
         2 . The treatment unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises one or more than one sidewall, a bottom plate and a removable lid. 
     
     
         3 . The treatment unit of  claim 2 , further comprising a ledge that extends around an internal surface of the one or more than one sidewall of the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The treatment unit of  claim 2 , wherein the housing is part of a housing unit and the housing unit further comprises a frame for supporting the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The treatment unit of  claim 4 , wherein the frame comprises four vertically orientated legs and the housing comprising four sidewalls with each sidewall positioned between two of the legs. 
     
     
         6 . The treatment unit of  claim 5 , wherein the frame further comprises four horizontally orientated base bars that extend around the bottom of the legs to support the housing unit on the ground. 
     
     
         7 . The treatment unit of  claim 6 , wherein the frame further comprises four horizontally orientated crossbars that extend between the legs and are positioned below the four sidewalls of the housing, wherein two of the crossbars are lower crossbars that are opposite each other and are positioned lower on the legs than the other two opposed crossbars that are upper crossbars, and the frame further comprises:
 a horizontally orientated central support bar extending between a centre point of the two opposed lower crossbars; and   one or more than one support crossbar extending between the two opposed upper crossbars and the central support bar,   
       wherein the bottom plate of the housing is V-shaped and supported by the central support bar and the one or more than one support crossbar. 
     
     
         8 . The treatment unit of  claim 7 , wherein the central support bar has a grove along its length and a centre line of the V-shaped bottom plate is received in the groove. 
     
     
         9 . The treatment unit of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more than one outlet comprises two opposed outlet ports on two opposed sidewalls of the housing, wherein the two opposed outlets ports are positioned above the centre line of the V-shaped bottom plate. 
     
     
         10 . The treatment unit of  claim 4 , wherein the frame comprises four horizontally orientated top bars that extend around the top of the sidewalls of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . The treatment unit of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more than one inlet comprises a top inlet through the lid. 
     
     
         12 . The treatment unit of  claim 11 , wherein the top inlet is a diffusion cone attached to an internal surface of the lid. 
     
     
         13 . The treatment unit of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more than one inlet further comprises one or more than one side inlet through the one or more than one sidewall. 
     
     
         14 . The treatment unit of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more than one sidewall of the housing has an opening therethrough and the opening is surrounded by a port housing on an external surface of the sidewall. 
     
     
         15 . The treatment unit of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh container comprises a top mesh panel, a bottom mesh panel and one or more than one side mesh panel extending between the top mesh panel and the bottom mesh panel. 
     
     
         16 . The treatment unit of  claim 15 , wherein there are four side mesh panels extending between the top mesh panel and the bottom mesh panel. 
     
     
         17 . The treatment unit of  claim 15 , wherein the mesh container further comprises a frame to which the mesh panels are attached. 
     
     
         18 . The treatment unit of  claim 17 , wherein the mesh panels are removable attached to the frame. 
     
     
         19 . The treatment unit of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh container further comprises one or more than one lifting attachment configured for attachment to a lifting machine. 
     
     
         20 . A treatment system comprising a plurality of the treatment units of  claim 1  in series. 
     
     
         21 . Use of a treatment unit for treating biochar, the treatment unit comprising:
 a housing with one or more than one inlet and one or more than one outlet; and   a mesh container received in the housing, the mesh container comprising a mesh surface with a plurality of holes therethrough,   
       wherein the biochar is received in the mesh container and is treated by solution flowing along a flow path comprising the inlet, the outlet and the mesh container, wherein the flow path is configured such that the solution flows into the housing through the inlet, flows through the plurality of holes in the mesh container to contact the biochar, and flows out of the housing through the outlet. 
     
     
         22 . The use of  claim 21 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one valve in the flow path configured to control flow of solution through the flow path. 
     
     
         23 . The use of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more that one valve is in communication with a controller configured to control opening and closing of the one or more than one valve. 
     
     
         24 . The use of  claim 21 , wherein the flow path further comprises a solution line fluidly connecting the outlet with the inlet for recirculation of the solution from the outlet to the inlet. 
     
     
         25 . The use of  claim 24 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one pump for pumping the solution from the outlet to the inlet. 
     
     
         26 . The use of  claim 25 , wherein the housing further comprises a bottom plate for collection of solid particles that are washed out of the biochar by the solution, wherein the outlet is positioned a predetermined height above the bottom plate. 
     
     
         27 . The use of  claim 26 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises a particulate sensor in the solution line for determining when the level of solid particles in the solution from the outlet is above a predetermined level. 
     
     
         28 . The use of  claim 27 , wherein the particulate sensor is in communication with a controller configured to shut down the treatment unit if the level of solid particles in the solution goes above the predetermined level. 
     
     
         29 . The use of  claim 25 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one valve in the flow path. 
     
     
         30 . The use of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more than one pump and the one or more than one valve are in communication with a controller configured to control flow of solution along the flow path. 
     
     
         31 . The use of  claim 21 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one sensor in the flow path for monitoring the solution flowing along the flow path. 
     
     
         32 . The use of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more than one sensor measures pH, nutrient levels and/or microorganism levels in the solution. 
     
     
         33 . The use of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more than one sensor is in communication with a controller configured to receive and analyze data from the one or more than one sensor. 
     
     
         34 . The use of  claim 33 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate addition of chemicals, nutrients and/or microorganisms to the solution as required based on the data received from the one or more than one sensor. 
     
     
         35 . A method of treating biochar in a treatment unit, the treatment unit comprising:
 a housing with one or more than one inlet and one or more than one outlet; and   a mesh container received in the housing, the mesh container comprising a mesh surface with a plurality of holes therethrough,   
       wherein the method comprises:
 placing the biochar in the mesh container; 
 treating the biochar by flowing solution along a flow path comprising the inlet, the outlet and the mesh container, wherein the flow path is configured such that the solution flows into the housing through the inlet, flows through the plurality of holes in the mesh container to contact the biochar, and flows out of the housing through the outlet. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one valve in the flow path, and the method further comprises controlling flow of solution through the flow path using the one or more than one valves. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the one or more that one valve is in communication with a controller configured to control opening and closing of the one or more than one valve. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the flow path further comprises a solution line fluidly connecting the outlet with the inlet, and the method further comprises recirculating the solution from the outlet to the inlet. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one pump, and the method further comprises pumping the solution from the outlet to the inlet. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the housing further comprises a bottom plate, and the method further comprises collecting solid particles washed out of the biochar by the solution, wherein the outlet is positioned a predetermined height above the bottom plate. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises a particulate sensor positioned in the solution line, and the method further comprises using the particulate sensor to determine when the level of solid particles in the solution from the outlet is above a predetermined level. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the particulate sensor is in communication with a controller configured to shut down the treatment unit if the level of solid particles in the solution goes above the predetermined level. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one valve in the flow path. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the one or more than one pump and the one or more than one valve are in communication with a controller configured to control flow of solution along the flow path. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more than one sensor positioned in the flow, and the method further comprises using the one or more than one sensor to measure pH, nutrient levels and/or microorganism levels in the solution. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the one or more than one sensor is in communication with a controller configured to receive and analyze data from the one or more than one sensor. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising adding chemicals, nutrients and/or microorganisms to the solution as required based on the data received from the one or more than one sensor. 
     
     
         48 . A soilless growing medium comprising the treated biochar obtained from the method of  claim 35 . 
     
     
         49 . A method of growing one or more than one plant, comprising planting the one or more than one plant in the soilless growing medium of  claim 48 .